exxos blog - random goings on

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exxos
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Found a baby UScleaner.. not convinced its got anything but a wonky motor in it.. but oddly even after the nozzles were in my main US cleaner like a week... This tiny one seems to be getting the paste out still!

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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
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Steve
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by Steve »

My (proper) ultrasonic didn't seem to be doing anything, even though it would light up and do the usual clicky sound. I opened it up and found the fuse for the actual ultra-sonics had blown. Had been placebo cleaning for weeks.
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Decided (out of the blue) to start chucking out stuff which hasn't been used for like 10+ years... Like I did a couple years ago, shame to chuck otherwise good stuff out, but if no value or use... I've stripped about 15 STFM's as well where all the cases and metalwork is heading to the tip. I'm chucking larger stuff like the fans out, my fathers "bits box of inductors and cores" . A little sad to chuck them, but with my world circulating around Atari stuff, there is just no reason to keep such things anymore.


Found my old HTM50 Test rig.. fond memories of yesteryear.. Those HTM50 modules (designed and built by myself ) were used in some theatres down in London (probably still are in use) .. Sadly they were the only customers for them.. I was trying to build up a audio company until my father passed away www.htm-audio.co.uk is all that remains really now.

I hope I will actually be able to find stuff in my workshop after this mass-clear-out!

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https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Pile on the landing is growing, but can almost see the workshop floor now! Chucked out 2 bags full of RF & mains cables :roll:

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https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Starting to look more like a functional workshop!

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https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

I've been looking at dispensing machines for the past week (Again)

This one isn't the prices as shown on alibaba, its more like $6,000.. but its the smaller range one, IIRC 300mm x 300mm, they do 400mm x 400mm and 500mm x 500mm. Though I didn't ask for a price for larger ones. Even so, with shipping (didn't ask) and import taxes, it really pushes these types of machines well beyond my price range :(

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https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/ ... 05887.html

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After much much more looking, I found this one...

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https://www.robotdigg.com/product/1433/ ... -Dispenser

That one is only 200mm x 200mm.. BUT, with it being open frame, I could still fit a H5 on there.. with the H5 being 260mm wide, it would *almost* be able to print "both sides". I emailed them a few days ago but no reply, so emailed again, and also asked if they could make a slightly larger version.. they do seem to make and custom make all sorts of stuff....

Even if they could, the software would need to work with it as well... But a 450mm x 300mm could fit the whole H5 on there.. one can dream :)
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by sporniket »

hum, is it me or is it in fact the same mechanism than a 3D printer using plastic threads ?
Leading to "maybe you could build it yourself" or "hack an existing 3d printer" (the great plan would be then to finally hack @Icky's giant panda) ?

I am aware the main difficulty would be the accurracy in positionning though. For the software, a first take would be to say that one want to print an object with a height of one layer, consisting of all the paste deposits on each pad.

edit : And then, the other main difficulty would the dispensing, seeing your struggles with the voltera... a mcu (like stm32/'duino/whatever) controlled dispenser to takes care of managing the pressure to apply would not be easy.
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

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I've been looking at all this for some days now.. to the point of just building one myself. Stuff is either way too expensive, not exactly what I want, or companies just don't ever get back to me.

There are all sorts of "open source" machines out there, but I would be mostly stuck on developers helping and fixing stuff, which probably is never going to happen, and I don't want to spend time fixing other people's stuff. Same old story, I might as well spend the time and build something myself.

I have started looking at simple CNC machine frameworks like this one..

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32844525624.html

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.. because it's the size I want, and it looks like a solid build. The head assembly moves up and down, so that can be adapted to hold a paste syringe. I would need to design a head assembly to actually push the paste in the syringe, but that is a simple idea, just takes time..

I would need to figure out how to add a USB pen cam, and "point sensor" to measure the height of various points on the board, as even the HASL finish isn't perfectly level across the board.

There are a lot of options for stepper motor controller boards. So I need to find one which will do what I want with minimum of fuss and be able to send my own commands using a supplied windoze dll etc. Then in theory, I can write a script to translate PCB files into movement steps to drive the stepper motors etc.
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
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Re: exxos blog - random goings on

Post by exxos »

Just ordered the above frame https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32844525624.html No VAT added on checkout for this one, must be that bizzare "cut off" value limit, as all the bits under like £100 have been charged VAT. So expect I will get a bill from the courier for it instead soon.

Also ordered one of these motors https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000895 ... 4c4d6DckDM These motors are interesting because the motor can travel up and down the threaded rod. I plan to build a simple assembly to hold a syringe and basically put the motor on top of it to actually push the plunger up and down.

There actually seems to be a lot of paste extruder designs out on the Internet. But I have not really seen one designed with one of these motors. A lot of designs also gear down the motor, but considering I am having constant troubles with getting the paste out of the syringe, I will maximum pressure available, and hence going with a more direct drive approach. Also considering my Voltera 's gear driven, it spins round a fair amount of turns the settings I'm currently using, which means I have to slow down the actual print speed to a snail's pace because by the time it has spun around enough times to get the paste flow, it has already travelled over half the PCB pad. So I think speeding up this process will help, and also considering that the motor has like 200 steps per revolution anyway, I don't really see it being a problem.. hopefully.. I also hear the cops slipping every now and again due to the pressure involved..

So I'm going to look for a suitable driver board, and build up a prototype head extruder, and I can just simply control it from the PC and see what is involved to get the paste flowing how I want it to. I am not making this a main project, more of a side-quest. So progress will likely be very slow.
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
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